The big night, the grand finale, and the final goodbye for Simon Cowell, it was a big night for American Idol fans. Only 2% of the votes separated Crystal and Lee and the audience seemed to have more Lee fans than Crystal fans in it. Could this be an omen?

With the opening reminder of Simon’s farewell, Randy stood up to give Simon a standing ovation followed by Alice Cooper singing “School’s Out.”

Last year’s winner Kris Allen sang his song “The Truth.” It was a fitting start for the tribute to Simon. They showed clips of Simon’s journey on Idol and I was amazed to see Simon with longer hair, having missed the first two seasons. Simon was so moved by the clips he laughed until he had tears in his eyes. Yes, Simon with tears, pigs do fly! Even Ryan was “feeling a bit weepy” as he put it.

Siobhan Magnus and Aaron Kelly sang a love song for Simon. “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees, who came out during the song to join the singing. There were only two of the Bee Gees brothers, Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb, both of the original Bee Gees group. The other brother of the original three, Maurice, died in 2003.

This turned out to be just the beginning of the many big singing stars that would grace the stage of the Season 9 finale. Big Mike Lynche sang “Taking It To The Streets” with Michael McDonald, member of the Doobie Brothers band from 1975 to 1995 according to Wikipedia.

Dane Cook sang a tribute to Simon which I think may have been called “Simon Said” but that’s just a guess. Dane said that Simon had the honesty of Abe Lincoln and the charm of the guy who shot him.

The top six Idol girls came out singing Christina Aguilera’s song “Beautiful”, joined by Christina herself, who went on to sing another song. It was a bad girls night with Christina and all the female Idols in black leather. Siobhan’s stockings took it, though, being some strange variety of fishnet that wasn’t fishnet.

Comedian Ricky Gervais paid tribute to Simon calling him the “king maker.” Hey, what about queens? (No, we’re not going THERE.) Ricky claimed that Simon threw away old wrinkled money and you could get rich digging thru his trash cans for it. I kept thinking that past Idol Chicken Little was named Kevin Gervais and wondered if there was a relationship. My memory was close but not close enough because Chicken Little of Season 5 was actually Kevin COVAIS. Okay, so I was close.

The top six Idol dudes came out singing “I Can’t Go For That” and “Maneater” by Hall and Oates who joined in. I smiled to be reunited with Teflon Tim if only for a song or two.

Crystal Bowersox sang a duet with Alanis Morrisette. It was an amazing duet, the two were such a perfect vocal match. We got to see almost the entire giant sunflower tattoo on Crystal’s back.

Carrie Underwood, winner of Season 4, came out singing her song “Undo It.” Carrie continued the bad girls theme wearing black leather pants. Carrie is one of the biggest superstars ever to come out of American Idol winning several Grammy awards, CMT awards, Billboard Music awards, a host of other awards and induction into the Grand Ole Opry.

Crystal and Lee were both surprised with Ford Fiestas sporting the designs each had created for the cars earlier in the season. Crystal’s had sunflowers to match her tattoo. I’m not sure how surprised they were as this seems to be the tradition for the top two Idols.

Then came the biggest surprise of the night. The surprise that brought me to tears. It was a huge moment, full of emotions on so many levels. Casey James started the song “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. My heart stopped, this is the signature song of Bret Michaels, lead singer of the band Poison. Bret was just crowned the Celebrity Apprentice by Donald Trump just a few days ago and he’s had quite a journey these past weeks.

Bret was the underdog on Celebrity Apprentice who everyone expected to bomb out early, assuming him to be just another airhead druggy rocker. Bret, however, turned out to be the biggest surprise of the year. He’s intelligent, hard working, an excellent team player, and he’s got a big heart, especially for his daughter.

I’m not a fan of the band Poison but I’ve definitely become a fan of the man, Bret, who I’d never heard of before The Apprentice. Not only did he win the title, he did it in spite of a series of life threatening medical issues that started with appendicitis and ended with a brain hemorrhage, warning stroke, and the discovery of a hole in his heart, all while he was competing on Celebrity Apprentice. He won $390,000 for his charity, the American Diabetes Association. Bret himself has diabetes and takes four injections a day for it. During his Apprentice competition he had the scare that his daughter would be diagnosed also. He’s been on quite a ride and I was amazed to see him join Casey in the song on stage. I knew that his doctors didn’t think he should be doing anything but resting yet here he was, performing. I’m sure I’m not the only one who cried.

One thing I’ve got to say about Bret, no other contestant on Celebrity Apprentice did a better job of making sure their charity got top billing. Throughout every single episode, Bret made sure to talk about diabetes and his charity. Most of the contestants I couldn’t tell you what charity they represented but Bret, he got it out there and he kept it out there week after week. Great job, Bret Michaels!

Bret exited saying, “You rock my world!” and Lee came on with the band Chicago. Lee finally mastered the art of looking into the camera when he sings.

Enter Paula Abdul to join the Simon tribute saying that Simon is a flirt if you’re a mirror. She added that he actually really was a flirt but that his hands always ended up on his own chest.

One of the more memorable Idol wannabes was brought on to perform. Larry Platt performed his hit “Pants On The Ground”, made famous during his unsuccessful Idol tryout. He was backed by a group of dancers who ended the song literally by dropping their pants to the ground, dancing with their pants wadded up at their ankles and sporting boxer shorts.

Another Idol wannabe from a season long past made a brief appearance. Try to remember William Hung, the strange looking Chinese fellow who sang the Ricky Martin song “She Bangs.” His unusual looks and bold but horrible audition catapulted him to instant fame, a small record deal, several TV appearances and even parts in several movies.

Paula offered a long farewell full of memories and said that the judges had become America’s favorite dysfunctional family. She said that after years of sitting between two men with boobs bigger than her own, she knew she’d had enough and finally left the show. Paula blew Simon a kiss, drew him a heart in the air and said, “To sir, with love.” They played a special song for Simon: “I did it my way.” Simon responded by saying, “It’s been the best 10 years of my life. I genuinely mean this, thank you, and I’m going to miss you!”

Every American Idol winner came on stage after Paula’s farewell with the exception of one: David Cook. The rest were there: Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, and Kris Allen.

Simon said a few words and talked about his replacement judge. He said that the judges of American Idol were the voters who watched the show, motioned to the Idol winners of seasons past, said that the voters had done a great job and that for himself, “It’s been a blast.”

Another superstar came on stage to perform, Janet Jackson. It was a bittersweet performance with the shadow of Michael Jackson dancing thru my memory. I was reminded of how genuinely talented the Jackson family is. The death of Michael Jackson was one of the biggest losses of the music world. I consider Michael to be one of the greatest entertainers of my lifetime.

American Idol really pulled out all the stops for this finale and for most of it, I forgot what we were there to witness: the crowning of the new American Idol. Crystal and Lee sang “With A Little Help From My Friends” with Joe Cocker. They looked so free. That’s the only way I can describe it. They sang happy and free, no more judges to impress, no more votes to contend for, just the music and the song. They both totally let go and enjoyed the moment with the knowledge that win or not, their journey was just beginning.

I was reminded of a wise old saying: “The time to worry is before you place your bet. After that, the result is out of your hands so just sit back and enjoy the game.”

The moment of truth was fast approaching and Lee appeared ready to cry regardless of the outcome. He could barely contain his emotions. Crystal Mama Sox stood by him in an attempt to give him a shoulder. The verdict was read and Lee DeWyze was declared the ultimate winner of American Idol Season 9.

He was so moved that he could barely speak. His first words were, “Oh my god!” Ryan asked how it felt to be the new American Idol and Lee answered in a shaky voice, “I don’t know! It’s amazing! There are no words to describe the feeling. Oh my god!”

I have no doubt that both Lee and Crystal will go on to great success. Not every Idol achieves big success but I believe that these two will. Lee has the heat, the drive, the desire, and the voice. Crystal has incredible talent and the ability to inject the clearest crystals of soul into her songs, which become “Crystallized” by her voice. I don’t know how much drive she has being divided between her child and the road to success, but we’d surely miss out on a rare songbird if she didn’t take the road. Good luck to you both, Crystal and Lee! You both truly have earned it!

Tags: aaron kelly, alanis morrisette, alice cooper, american idol, andrew garcia, barry gibb, bee gees, benami, bowersox, bret michaels, brown, carrie underwood, casey james, celebrity apprentice, chicken little, christina aguilera, cowell, crystal bowersox, dane cook, david cook, degeneres, dewyze, didi benami, doobie brothers, ellen, ellen degeneres, fantasia barrino, garcia, hall and oates, james, janet jackson, joe cocker, jordan sparks, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, kelly, kelly clarkson, kevin covais, kris allen, lacey brown, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, michael mcdonald, miles, paige miles, pants on the ground, paula abdul, ricky gervais, robin gibb, ruben studdard, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, taylor hicks, tim urban, william hung

Category: American Idol 2010

Week 1 of the battle for America’s vote for the ultimate American Idol payed tribute to the Rolling Stones, one of the greatest Rock and Roll bands of all time. Can this group of idols rock it out to such legendary songs?

Michael Lynche

Michael opened the show with Rolling Stone’s song “Miss You”. Big Mike definitely showed his pipes on this song, adding a good bit of falsetto and totally changing the dynamics of the song. My favorite so far of all of Mike’s performances. Randy thought he slayed it. Ellen said, “At some point I’m going to be disappointed but not yet.” Kara thought he delivered the swagger and attitude of Mick Jagger. Mike definitely delivered, but I wouldn’t compare it to Mick Jagger. Their styles are radically different. Simon poked a hole in Mike’s balloon, agreeing that he “sang it well” but added that the dancing was a little bit corny and overall the performance was “a tiny bit desparate”. Leave it to Simon to end with such a positive note.

Didi Benami

Didi was next up. For me she’s been struggling through the weeks, never quite making herself believable as a pop singer. As with all the Idols they showed childhood mug shots and family clips including “Mommy Benami” in tears saying she couldn’t bear to watch her Didi get judged so she turned down the volume when the judge’s started to talk. Didi sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Play With Fire”. She definitely lost her innocence with this performance attempting to show her bad boy side but for me, it didn’t work. The song was sleepy. The judges didn’t agree. Randy said she was on fire for the first time in weeks. Ellen noticed that she made the word “fire” into two syllables. Kara thought that the sweetness of Didi’s voice coupled with the eerieness of the song was a good combo, adding that Didi took two steps in the right direction. Simon called it a “solid performance”.

Casey James

According to Casey’s mother, he could hum before he could talk. Casey wasn’t humming for this song, however, giving us a country version of the Rolling Stone’s song “It’s All Over Now”. I’m not a country fan but I absolutely loved it. I believe Casey would make a great country singer if he wanted to go down that road. He hasn’t quite offered up his chosen direction but then, most of the Idol’s haven’t. The few exceptions really stand out. Randy called it “bluesy, stonesy, rocky” and thought he could make a career out of it. Ellen called it fantastic. Kara said it was his best performance since they day he auditioned and called him a “rock star”. Simon, however, thought it was more like an audition performance and said he didn’t use the stage. For the most part, the Idol’s aren’t owning the stage which is something they really need to do. The exceptions stand out. Casey, who played his guitar, expected the judges to eat him up for his guitar. They didn’t.

Lacey Brown

Lacey followed Casey with the Rolling Stone’s song “Ruby Tuesday”. She definitely sported a dangerous look but the song came out more like a sweet lullabye to the string quartet that accompanied her. So far, her voice has lacked the power needed to grab my ears. She has such a beautiful voice but she sounds like a little kid singing, getting lost in the background. She needs to belt them out a little harder. For Randy, there wasn’t a wow moment but he was pleasantly surprised and called her “the most interesting one of the night”. With so many contestant’s left to perform we couldn’t know if he still thought that by night’s end. Ellen noticed that Lacey liked to sit on the edge of things and offered up the advice that Lacey shouldn’t ever go to the Grand Canyon. Kara liked the drama but said she didn’t hit the notes quite right. Simon thought she performed more like an actress than a singer and said she was in danger of doing the same thing week after week.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew came out with Rolling Stone’s song “Gimme Shelter”. Interesting that 8 of the 12 songs chosen were off the Hot Rocks double CD. (I caught that as I happen to own the CD set. They missed my favorite song from the set, “Mother’s Little Helper”.) While it was one of Andrew’s better performances I couldn’t connect with it. I can’t put my finger on what was wrong but I just felt totally disconnected from both Andrew and the song. Randy thought it was pitchy everywhere. Ellen thought it was one of his better performances. Kara and I were on the same page. She said it was missing the connection and that she just didn’t feel it. Simon said it was obvious that Andrew had given it 100% and hoped he’d stick around another week, but thought he’d done much better with the song in rehearsal. Maybe Andrew is battling nerves. I tried Karaoke once totally expecting to nail it but when I got up there, it was HARD singing in front of the people. My friends could only say that I had “picked a hard song”… gentle speak for “you suck, man!”

Katie Stevens

As you all know, I’m not a Katie fan but if she’d nailed it, I’d tell you that. Katie came out dressed like a little girl in a lacy dress getting ready to perform at a children’s recital to sing a Rolling Stones song. The combo was a complete failure for me. Katie has a good voice but it’s really hard to take her seriously. She sang “Wild Horses” sitting on a stool. I could hear echoes of Simon’s comment last week about the boring songs sung by contestants sitting on stools. The judges were a little softer. Randy thought she “sang it well” and that it was a “strong performance”. Ellen thought that once Katie got into it that it sounded great. Kara said that it was never technically perfect but that she’d done better than last week. Simon said that this was the only week where she’d chosen a “really strong song”.

Tim Urban

Our favorite underdog Tim Urban sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Under My Thumb”. Not that I’m rooting for him to win because that spot should be for Crystal or Siobhan, but there’s an appeal for this fellow who Simon thought was a mistake. Tim has fought hard to earn his right to be on the stage and he’s made incredible progress. This week he reminded me of the teenage heartthrob’s of the 70s such as David Cassidy of the Partridge Family, Davy Jones of the Monkees, Leif Garrett and others. His style, voice and hair were totally reminiscent of the look and songs of that day. He offered us a great pop version of the song with a bit of a reggae twist. I thought it was interesting and I enjoyed it.

For Randy it didn’t work, he didn’t get it. Ellen felt like she was at a resort drinking a pina colada on the beach, relaxing to a cool song. I’m not sure this was intended as a compliment. Kara applauded him for doing something different with the song but she wasn’t gushing with the praise, either. Simon said it didn’t work and that Stone’s fans would be turning the TV off. I’m a Stone’s fan and I wanted to hear more. Isn’t it all about changing up a song so that it appeals to different people? Wasn’t that part of Adam’s winning strategy last year? (Yes, Adam didn’t actually win but his fame far surpassed that of the actual winner.) Tim’s defense was that he knew he couldn’t be a Rolling Stone so he played it to his own abilities.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan offered one of the most interesting performances of the night. She brought an actual stage set to the mix with a long staircase as her backdrop. Siobhan treated us to an usual version of the Rolling Stone’s song “Paint It Black”. Instead of making the song dark as you would expect, she started out with a sweet, almost Tinkerbell sound like a music box. While there were a couple of pitchy notes here and there, she took a song that’s hard to change and she really changed it up. I loved the changes. She ended with the screechy note that got everyone’s attention last week followed by a soft, sweet ending.

Randy said she brought drama to the night and called it “hot”. Ellen said that she rises above “like Snookie’s poof”. Apparently Snookie is a soap opera character with very big hair. For Ellen, she stands out. Siobhan gave Kara flashbacks of Adam Lambert. Simon called it the “stand out peformance of the night”. He said people would either love it or hate it and that was a good thing, because it was far better than indifference.

Lee Dewyze

Lee sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Beast of Burden”. He added more believability to the song than the Stones themselves had. I totally felt the song. Lee didn’t offer much activity on stage and if you were watching him, you’d lose sight of the song itself. You had to close your eyes and hear the song as you would on the radio and this way, he totally nailed it. Randy thought he “came home” with this song and compared him to Rob Thomas and Dave Matthews, calling it one of his better performances. Ellen was expecting more from him, and said the song didn’t quite come together, sort of like a hospital gown. Kara thought he was growing faster than any other contestant. Simon noted that Lee’s personality (or lack of) didn’t shine through but that he had an incredibly good voice. Simon hoped he’d be back next week.

Paige Miles

Paige sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Honky Tonk Woman”. She was obviously having a lot of fun with it but there was a lot of pitchiness. Paige added a country twist and for some reason, the song sounded off. So far, Siobhan was the only contestant to own the stage with only two left to perform. Randy wished Paige had shown more energy. Ellen thought she had “star quality” and made sure we all knew that Paige had voice issues this week. Apparently she was suffering from laryingitis so voter’s should take that into account. Kara said this was the Paige we originally fell in love with. Simon said she still hasn’t connected but that there were moments of the big voice we loved in Hollywood.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Angie”, taking more ownership of the stage as Siobhan had done with the rising staircase as his backdrop. By far this was his best performance yet. I thought it was better than the original version. He totally connected with the song and sang it with so much emotion that I forgot how young he was. For the first time ever, I saw genuine talent in him. For the first time, I actually hope he comes back. Randy said he was “born to sing”. Ellen said that he and Siobhan were the two stand out performances of the night so far. Kara commented on her earlier negative opinions of Aaron and said, “You showed me!” She called it “very powerful”. Simon had originally feared for him, not believing he could handle a Rolling Stones song. Aaron “cleverly” pulled it off and had chosen the “100% right song” according to Simon, who called it one of his strongest performances so far.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal closed out the show with the Rolling Stone’s song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. She was my favorite of the night which was pretty amazing since I’d totally loved several of the previous contestants. It’s refreshing that Crystal doesn’t scream songs like so many singers with powerful voices. She lets the power of her voice flow naturally. I’d buy the song exactly as she sang it. For me, she had the wow factor. The judges however, were sailing on a different boat.

Randy said it wasn’t her best but that even so, she didn’t disappoint. Ellen echoed Randy that it wasn’t her best but added that Crystal was born to be on stage. Ellen noted that for the first time, Crystal showed her personality. I agree. Crystal really shined this week actually smiling as she sang it and appearing to have fun. Kara said it was good to see her “let loose” but made a pretty big deal that previously, it felt like Crystal had the attitude that she was already the winner. I never felt that from Crystal. I always felt like she didn’t care whether she won or not until later in the competition. I believe she was protecting herself from an expected rejection but once she thought she actually had a chance, she could start opening up and let loose. Crystal defended herself to Kara by saying she never believed that she owned the competition but thanked Kara for saying it. Simon said the song didn’t have the drama and for the first time, Siobhan beat her. He’s right that the performance wasn’t as dramatic as Siobhan’s performance, but drama isn’t Crystal’s style or strength. She’s more down to earth and I truly believe she has a bright future regardless of the outcome of American Idol.

Who’s in danger? None of the judges really made a prediction. However, I believe that the weakest singers are: Didi Benami, Lacey Brown, Andrew Garcia and Katie Stevens. I expect the bottom three to come from this group and that Andrew will be voted off.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, alex lambert, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, brown, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, didi benami, ellen, ellen degeneres, epperly, kara dioguardi, katelyn epperly, katie stevens, lacey brown, lambert, lee dewyze, lilly scott, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, miles, paige miles, rolling stones, ryan, ryan seacrest, scott, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, todrick, todrick hall, urban

Category: American Idol 2010

Who is out: Katelyn Epperly, Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert, Lilly Scott

Who is in: Didi Benami, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Casey James, Tim Urban, Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche, Lacey Brown, Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens

If you’re looking for mainstream opinion on American Idol, you won’t find it here. I, for one, am glad that none of the current contestants appear to be Whitney Houston or Celine Dion wannabes. I’m not a big fan of that. This year we’ve got different and I like different. Didi, Siobhan, Crystal and Lacey, they promise to entertain us with unusual song choices in a unique voice. Lilly should have been among them. I liked her style. Mainstream thinking voted her out.

The boys aren’t really in the race yet. Now that they’re faced with this gangbuster group of girls, they’re in trouble. The boys are going to have to seriously turn up their game.

Does anybody ever wonder how the final choices are made? Of the tens of thousands who try out, only a few make it to Hollywood and you know that so many others had the talent. How do they pick which talent to support? I’m sure looks are a factor. The person has to either be very likeable, very sellable visually or entertaining in some other way. But what else?

I believe that names are a factor. Consider the year that Jason Castro and Danny Noriega both made it to the finals. Castro and Noriega? As in Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and South American dictator Manuel Noriega? While there was not likely an actual connection to the dictators, it seemed unlikely that the choice to include the two was coincidental. Perhaps it just simply amused the judges who hoped to spark some sort of controversy.

This year it was Alex Lambert. C’mon, are you serious? No way this is a coincidence. Sure, Alex can sing but no doubt others could sing better. In some way American Idol was riding the coattails of Adam Lambert with this choice. Alex Lambert didn’t make it to the top 12 in spite of his name and I genuinely felt bad for him. Like Alex, Danny Noriega from Season 7 didn’t make it to the top 12 either. I’m sure if Ellen had been a judge back then she’d have called Danny a “cocky banana”. He definitely had the attitude.

That brings me to Ellen. I’ve grown quite fond of her as a judge in spite of my earlier misgivings about her lack of musical background. However, there is something I worry about. Ellen’s fans. She’s a powerhouse of fans and if she says “I hope you’ll stick around another week” I fear that her fans will intentionally make it so. That really tips the scale with the voting and could cause a lot of upsets this season. She appears to have a soft heart and if she feels sorry for a contestant, even if they should be outed, and accidentally says those magic words, they could end up like Chicken Little of Season 5.

Chicken Little (Kevin Covais) was the nerdy, little boy contestant who couldn’t sing very well but all the grandmas wanted to pinch his cheeks and somehow, he hung in week after week. While he didn’t last long once he made it to the top 12 he did prevent other, more talented singers from making it to the top 12 such as Stevie Scott and Gedeon McKinney. Ellen has the power to catapult the weaker singers just by feeling sorry for them.

With a new judge and several singers bringing styles we haven’t heard on American Idol before, it promises to be an interesting season. The question is, will you vote? Or will you let your phone sit idle while your favorite gets voted off, like what happened to Lilly?

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, adam lambert, alex lambert, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, brown, casey, casey james, chicken little, cowell, crystal bowersox, danny noriega, degeneres, dewyze, didi benami, ellen, ellen degeneres, epperly, jason castro, kara dioguardi, katelyn epperly, katie stevens, kevin covais, lacey brown, lambert, lee dewyze, lilly scott, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, miles, paige miles, ryan, ryan seacrest, scott, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, todrick, todrick hall, urban

Category: American Idol 2010